Forum:Nightal
The Pyramid of Kharis: Nightal 5th-9th A group of Pathfinders including Rain, Jord, Halstein and Alejandra travelled south into the Hyrcanian Desert on request of Alejandra on the 5th of Nightal. While discussing the logistics of such a trip with Jura, the group was interrupted by a message that a stranger was waiting for them in the Pathfinders' Guildhouse. The five went to see this man, who refused to identify himself and appeared to have several concealed weapons. Pathfinders gathered from his confusing speech that he had come to Willowdale on suspicion that some sort of magical ley-line was being disrupted, and that a place known as the Shadow Lodge may be related to this event. Though the rest of the group brushed this news off, Jura remembered a conversation with the Firewalker Shaman and Dr. Haiduc regarding such a place, and resolved to look into the issue over the next few days in Willowdale will the rest went to the desert. The Pathfinders began their trip by taking Valconey's portal to the Sisters of Sand, but found the Sisters had left to parts unknown. They then entered the desert, encountering intense heat and a gigantic scorpion, which they avoided. The night was surprisingly cold, and interrupted by a number of giant soldier ants, drawn by the scent of water in the sands. These ants were easily dispatched and the flesh was found to be edible, though mildly poisonous if prepared incorrectly. Thirty or so lights, as if of torches, were spotted in the night. On the 6th, Alejandra insisted that the group seek out the lights. When pressed, she explained that she was looking for the Cinder Man, a mysterious figure of the south who lights fires wherever he goes, and once burned an entire hobgoblin army. She also mentioned that another southerner was following the Cinder Man, and that she wished to find the enigmatic figure before this other person did. The rest of the party complained about being dragged into the desert on a personal errand, but agreed to continue. However, before the Pathfinders encountered their quarry, they met a sphinx at a pyramid. After fumbling with a language barrier, the Pathfinders explained their errand and answered several riddles. The sphinx in turn informed them that they would not find the Cinder Man during this trip, and that the pyramid beyond was dedicated to a pharaoh of the Empire of Decadence and was full of the undead. The sphinx accepted a fish from Halstein and left. The Pathfinders then entered the pyramid. Shortly upon entering, they encountered a runic trap, featuring six runes arranged in a pentagonal pattern, with one in the centre. By blindly touching runes in sequence, they were able to deactivate the trap and opened the door, but not before facing teleportation and life-draining effects. Alejandra also noted an aura of evil upon the middle rune, which the group tried to avoid. Past the trap, they destroyed multiple mummies who attacked with rocks hurled from the top of a steep incline, with a combination of Alejandra's channeling, Jord's fire, Halstein's usage of the King's Hammer and Rain's steady advance up the incline. They claimed a hoard, and discovered a pit full of ghouls which the victims of the rune trap may have been teleported to. They returned to Willowdale shortly thereafter. The Changeling Trial and The Fountain of Couth: Nightal 9th-12th The Pathfinders Alejandra, Enrique, Dr. Haiduc, Gorgoroth, Ruthea, and Jura all gathered on the 9th for the trial of the prisoners of the Battle of Willowdale - the two changeling assassins and a hobgoblin soldier. The Pathfinders made many statements in their defense: Alejandra and Ruthea spoke of the youth of the changelings and the indoctrination of all three prisoners by their cultures, Dr. Haiduc and Ned, as parties directly wronged by the assassins, declared that they held them no ill will, and Jura and Rahzer'ok reminded those gathered of the precedent of Rahzer'ok and the fact that the gnoll, once spared execution, had become a valued healer during the battle. Jura also reminded Willowdale that as the town had decimated an entire hobgoblin legion, seeking to further punish the survivors was needless. General Wilson and an anonymous statistician spoke against the prisoners, painting them as enemy combatants who had visited great harm upon the town. However, Alejandra then roused the crowd with a stirring speech on how the people of Willowdale would not be party to any cruelty or suffering, and despite the court bailiffs' attempts to drag her away from the stand, she resisted and got the crowd to start a chant of "Not the ones!" before Sheriff Colquhoun fired her gun into the air, demanding silence. Ultimately, popular opinion sided with the Pathfinders and their arguments for mercy. The visiting judge overseeing the proceedings finally decided that the prisoners should not be executed, but instead should be branded with a Mark of Justice, similar to those given the Knights of the Post. The prisoners would then be exiled, unless some of those present took personal responsibility for the prisoners as wards. Gorgoroth took responsibility for the hobgoblin, Ru for the young girl, and Alejandra for the changeling man. The prisoners were welcomed into Willowdale by the Pathfinders, with Ru giving her charge a tour of the town, and Gorgoroth drinking the hobgoblin under a table in the Boar & Thistle. On the morning of the 10th, the Pathfinders along with Ballantino and Alyenna left the wall to find the Sawtooth Vale. They teleported to the Pharos Lighthouse and travelled by river up to the southern edge of the Vale. On the way, they stopped to hunt a pair of wooly rhinoceros, and encountered but avoided a colossal bear that projected an antimagic field. It was speculated that this bear was the spirit Karhu. It was also noted that the local boar appeared used to and frightened by hunters with firearms. On the 11th, as they approached the orc encampment, hoping to parley with the king and discourage further action against Willowdale, the Pathfinders came across a pair of orc hunters. Deciding that they preferred not to make contact until closer to the main camp, the Pathfinders hid in some nearby ruins marked with warning signs by the local orcs. These ruins turned out to house the Fountain of Couth. The Pathfinders solved three puzzles, detecting a heavier stone among eight using only two weighings of a scale, placing eight queens on a chess board such that none could attack the others, and correctly identifying the silver Cup of Nobility out of eight cups of different materials. Gorgoroth, meanwhile, seemed obsessed with trying to drink from every source of water available, and was not even dissuaded by the acidic burns he received doing so. Those present were then allowed to drink from the fountain, though Alejandra, Ballantino, and Alyenna declined. Those who drank found themselves filled with a strange knowledge of nobility and royalty, and heard a whisper in their ears saying "long live the King" or "long live the Queen," as appropriate to their gender. Alejandra instead found an iron ring on the floor with the inscription "In defense of the King," which allowed her to shield those who had drank of the fountain from harm by taking their wounds upon herself. Alejandra teased the others about their newfound royalty, stating a readiness to serve "your lordships." This unsettled Jura, as she had not intended to place herself above others by drinking. However, she cheered up somewhat when Dr. Haiduc mentioned that she could be a Gypsy Queen, protectress of vagabonds. Ru, on the other hand, was quite visibly shaken and upset by the turn of events, uncertain as to what it meant. In the night, Gorgoroth and Jura receieved similar visions of an orcish artifact to be found in a shrine to the bear spirit Karhu a short distance east of their camp. The Pathfinders made a detour there on the 12th, again spotting but avoiding the giant bear, and found a strange belt lying on the ground at the shrine as if waiting for them. Upon picking it up, Gorgoroth intuited that it would serve as a sign of parley with the orcs, and in addition would bolster the wearer in several ways. Despite having just found a helpful symbol in their quest to parley with the ocs, the Pathfinders reluctantly decided to cut the expedition short here, as several members felt the need to return to Willowdale. However, on the way back, Ru and Jura introduced the others to Korred, and he trained Alejandra in the bolas, Gorgoroth in the fullblade, Enrique in the wakizashi, and Dr. Haiduc in the meteor hammer. Upon returning to Willowdale later on the 12th, Jura found Noemia somewhat singed after having spent several days with Rahzer'ok and the Firewalker druids. Noemia claimed it had been "the best day ever." Further questioning revealed that Nomeia had instigated several-hour snowball fight between the druidic acolytes. Escape from the Ruined City: Nightal 13-14th On the morning of the 13th of Nightal, Rinzler, Jura and Kat met in the Boar & Thistle to discuss adventuring plans. As they were about to begin, they were approached by a page who represented a finely-dressed bugbear gentleman who was sitting across the room. The page introduced the noble as Rexus Goblington the 3rd, a gem-cutter, who then spoke to the Pathfinders regarding the Fountain of Couth. Upon learning that the fountain had already been drained and was likely useless for a few generations at least, he resigned himself to purchasing a map leading to the site from them instead. In payment, each of the present Pathfinders were able to select a gemstone from his assortment. Following this, a brash sailor kicked in the door, began madly strumming on his violin and bought a round for the house. After everyone got into the spirit, he introduced himself as Captain Murdoch, a pirate captain who had heard of the grand adventures of the Pathfinders and wished to join up with them. Ned was taken with the fellow sailor, and the two had a rousing discussion before the group finally got prepared enough to leave. They decided to travel first to the Ashen Plains for a quick stop to view the area and the arcane portal, before heading to the Hyrcanian Desert to see what could be found. When Kat ran to ask Sosostriss why she had gone there earlier, the sorceress advised them against visiting the barren city, citing its danger and occupation by a powerful and cruel red dragon. Undetered, they used the newly-constructed portal in the Golden Fields, and the group, including Captain Murdoch and Alyenna, teleported directly to the Ruined City. Zuni was left in Willowdale due to Jura's concern for her safety in the desert. Using his Cloak of the Bat, Murdoch scouted the area in the form of an inconspicuous bat. From his vantage, he could see the grid-like pattern of the well-arranged city, the large, unruined church at the city's edge, the golden dragon gate at the city's entrance, the active volcano, Kiragg Lake, and a stand of devastated trees to the south. He also noted an incredibly large number of dark folk populating the city, as well as fire giants, salamanders, and many dark shapes flying high in the clouded, smoky sky. The dark folk appeared to be continually combing the streets in small groups, but their purpose was unknown; one group was seen taking away several of their own kind tied to a log, likely as a sacrifice to the aforementioned dragon. Meanwhile, investigation through Rinzler's spyglass lead the others to believe that due to the interesting archetecture of the buildings, this was likely the site of the ancient city where, in the past, many races lived in harmony, mentioned in Fahz Murb's scrolls and by the spirit of the pharaoh Sekhemkhet. They also managed to identify the church as one of Abadar, god of law and civilization. Deciding that they wanted to see it closer, as it was the only unruined building in sight and could possibly hold protection against the dark and firey hordes of the area, the group disguised themselves and set out, trying to avoid confrontation. Along the way, a large bloodsplatter was found across the wall of one building, which Jura was able to identify as that of a mammalian creature being butchered. It was also noticed that the sky appeared to continually flash with lightning. About one hour into their trek, Kat's disguise wore off; she made no attempt to reapply it and merrily strode down the middle of the streets on Sparkle Pony. Shortly after, she was the victim of a full ambush launched from the rooftops, stabbed with poisoned blades and surrounded by four dark stalkers. An impenetrable darkness blanketed everyone, and the sounds of many small feet scurrying into the area could be heard. Panicked, everyone did their best to scatter using whatever means they had at their disposal. Eventually, everyone escaped the Deeper Darkness, albiet in several smaller groups, and ran as fast as they could back to the portal. All of the Pathfinders managed to make it back to the building safely, where they used the portal to return to Sosostriss' Tower. There, they collapsed into beds and stayed the night. They returned to town on the morning of the 14th. The Dragon Burial Ground and the Thunderbird Barbarians: Nightal 14th-17th A group of Pathfinders including Kat, Alejandra, Dr. Haiduc and Enrique set out to explore the regions of the north. Early travel in the Barbarian Highlands was uneventful: the group entered the highlands through a mountain pass in Deepen Dale, which they reached via the Deepen Dale druid circle. They encountered a family of yeti there, who were curious and unaggressive. The Pathfinders managed to communicate in Aklo and gave them meat in exhange for serving as guides for a short distance. The adventurers also encountered and easily scared off a group of polar goblins, and spotted but did not engage a catoblepas. In the first night, Dr. Haiduc heard the chanting of frost hags and replied using a Major Image. This noise alerted several ice trolls, which were easily fought off by using ranged attacks and summoned fire-weilding celestials from the relative safety of Dr. Haiduc's Tiny Hut. Several curious-looking ice axes were claimed and stored in a Bag of Holding, where it was believed they would resist melting long enough to be examined in Willowdale. On the 15th, they made their way to the Dragon Burial Grounds, located in a large crater, where they found the bones of many dead dragons of all ages and sizes. An incredibly large dragon skeleton dominated the area, eminating a powerful aura which was theorized to be drawing the other smaller dragons to the site. A magical dragonslaying spear was found driven into the spine of the humungous dragon, which was recovered along with a slightly-digested scroll case. Of the smaller dragons, only one was recently dead and recognizable. This blue dragon was observed to have killed and eaten a Remorhaz shortly before its death, which was likely the cause of its demise as well as its last meal. The Pathfinder's Scroll was used to create a treasure map from this dragon, which lead to a small hoard. While standing in the burial grounds, the second scroll of prophecies of Fahz Murb reacted strangely, and when inspected closely, a third, new scroll materialized from the second. During the second night, Dr. Haiduc encountered a coven of frost hags that he had heard chanting the night before. He went to meet them, followed by Enrique, and was greeted by them as a "prince." They told him to beware of the daughter of the frost hags, and taught him the magic of the winter witch. The daughter of the frost hags was later surmised to refer to the Hyperborean Queen. On the 16th, the Pathfinders reached the lodge of the Thunderbird tribe, who were not hostile but appeared very suspicious of the animated cart, of Dr. Haiduc's magic in general, and of Sparkle Pony. The Pathfinders spoke with the barbarian chief, who said he would only listen to them further if they brought him the jawbone of a Remorhaz. The Pathfinders returned by teleportation to the Dragon Burial Ground where they removed the jawbone from the dead creature found there. As they were leaving, a huge white dragon approached from above and spewed ice over the party before they were able to teleport to safety. The barbarian chief was dissatisfied with the frozen jawbone; he had need of the creature's still-warm blood, and heavily implied that he had wished them to prove their strength, which they obviously had not done. He admitted that he could have been more specific and so ceded the barest of information: he told them of another barbarian tribe nearby, and as an answer to their questions regarding the Sawtooth Vale orcs, replied that they were far to the west over the Trollveggen mountains. He then told them to leave the longhouse, and would not speak any further. On the 17th, the Pathfinders continued north until they reached the arctic wastes of the Everice. They discovered a shipwreck half-frozen solid in a glacier so clear as to appear as glass. Upon investigation, they discovered the cold-preserved corpse of the captain and his magically-protected log book, which declared the mission of the ship, the Dragonspine, to be to find a northwest passage to the Rheic Sea. They became stuck in a south-moving ice floe, but at last record 8 years ago, they were still hopeful about their chances. The portion of the ship trapped in the ice is perfectly preserved, and the crew members seem to be frozen in time, carrying out whatever tasks they were doing when the boat was apparently flash-frozen. After completing their investigation of the ship, they decided to return home to Willowdale. Winter Vacation: Nightal 18th-30th For the second half of the month, the Pathfinders took a few weeks off from active adventuring, and contented themselves with their own personal activities. The Secret Gift-Exchange and the Snowball War: Yule On the holiday of Yule, all of the Pathfinders gathered together to exchange gifts, both with each other and with the denizens of Willowdale. Following the exchange and festivities held in the Boar & Thistle, Noemia called for the first annual Willowdale Snowball Fight. Several of the Pathfinders participated, and after a full six hours, Jura had to eventually break up the final two competitors, Rinzler and Noemia herself. A good time was had by all.